If your commute is longer, it’s easy to see how the lost time can add up. We all need a break, so take that extra time to call a friend, play with your pet, hang with your family, or go out to your favorite spot for dinner. My mom has also reached the age where she needs help managing day-to-day activities. I’m grateful for the time with her and for my siblings who share in the challenges and joys of caring for an elderly parent, but the stress of being in the sandwich generation is intense.
- This all-in-onesmart whiteboard for conference roomsolution features a 55″ 4K touchscreen with an infinite canvas for real-time brainstorming, presenting, and training that teams can access from anywhere in the world.
- To overcome this challenge, it’s important to over-communicate and use the right tools for the job.
- Starting a new job is stressful for most people, even under the best of circumstances.
- Collaboration suites (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) messaging apps, task management tools, your intranet platform and many other digital collaboration tools are all here to improve the work of any remote worker.
With fewer people in the office, companies can condense their real estate footprint, allowing for more efficient workspace usage. That same Stanford study of remote workers allowed the participating company to save nearly $2,000 per employee on its office space rent, simply by using the space more efficiently. Many remote workers find that they can be more productive during their peak hours, whether that’s early in the morning or late at night.
Greater Autonomy and Job Satisfaction
Our main aim was to separate the within- and between-person relationships between WFH and well-being. Our data allow us to investigate the dynamic relationship of WFH and distinct aspects of well-being over time in a large and diverse population from different countries. So far, just a handful of longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between WFH and well-being during the pandemic based on representative samples. However, WFH was positively related to psychological distress during the second COVID-19 lockdown in November 2020.
- It can be hard to showcase one’s work and accomplishments when not physically present.
- There are also federal and state incentives to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
- However, WFH was positively related to psychological distress during the second COVID-19 lockdown in November 2020.
- Turns out that telecommuting can reduce a worker’s carbon impact by up to 58%.
- We also found no evidence that controlling for participation intensity meaningfully affected our results.
Tips For Managing Creative People in 2025
Our study focused on the overall, dynamic association between WFH and two indicators of well-being, and our analyses do not provide any insight about moderating factors or mediating processes. WFH may well be related to well-being under particular conditions or for particular persons. Moreover, WFH might trigger a number of mediating processes (e.g., coping, self-regulation) that could nevertheless result in a null relationship between WFH and well-being. We suspect that the influence of any moderators and mediating processes may also depend on the timepoint of investigation (e.g., pre-pandemic, during the lockdowns, post-pandemic). For instance, Leitner 15 found that work-family conflict and family-work conflict were only relevant mediators of the relationship between WFH and well-being at the beginning of the pandemic. Future studies should investigate mediators and moderators of inter- and intraindividual associations of WFH and different indicators of well-being.
(Maybe all three!) Just keep in mind that in some cases—like employers that want you to attend in-person meetings once a week—changing locations may not be ideal. You should also make sure to check that your organization can legally employ someone based in the state or country you’re looking to move to. With today’s technology, there’s no excuse for employers not to reap the benefits of a remote workforce. Internet connection and a good digital workplace platform means employees have access to all the apps they need to do their work. Collaboration suites (Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) messaging apps, task management tools, your intranet platform and many other digital collaboration tools are all here to improve the work of any remote worker. Remote collaboration is the process of working together from different locations using digital platforms to achieve common goals.
An employee with chronic joint pain, for example, may feel more comfortable in their ergonomic home desk chair. A worker with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), can position their desk near a window to get more sunlight. Someone who moves or fidgets often through the day can do so without worrying about distracting others. I can get up and make sure the kids are moving along and I can go to the gym every morning,” says Heather Bostwick, VP of Marketing and Analytics at Education Dynamics, a higher education enrollment growth agency.
Time
Last but certainly not least, with remote work, team members may be spread across different time zones, making synchronous communication challenging. This can cause delays in decision-making and project completion, as well as feelings of isolation for team members in different time zones. Our remote work certification was the first of its kind, developed in 2017 to help remote workers adopt proven best practices for sustainable remote work success. With the rise of remote work, companies have access to a global pool of talent, making the job market more competitive than ever before.
They find a standardised professional environment in each city, with the same tools, the same comfort, and often even an international community. It’s the ideal solution for staying connected and productive while travelling. For small businesses, assess how remote work can impact team dynamics, resources, and overall operations. Take advantage of this benefit of working from home today by growing awareness of and advocating for your needs.
Less Accessibility Hurdles
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transition, forcing organizations to adapt quickly to remote work models. According to aGartner survey, about 50% of companies had 81% or more of their employees working remotely during the pandemic. Even as the immediate crisis has passed, many organizations have maintained flexible work arrangements. After weighing the pros and cons of remote work, many businesses may want employees to return to the office.
Save time
Companies can build more inclusive teams with varied backgrounds and experiences, which often leads to better decision-making and more innovative solutions to complex problems. The pandemic has accelerated the dissolution of the traditional workplace, profoundly changing how, when and where people work 5. The increase in WFH has prompted legislators to address how structural and legislative measures can protect the population’s well-being as working conditions change 7, 44. A better understanding of how WFH is related to different dimensions of well-being, as delivered in the present study, could inform policy decisions. But its widespread adoption due to the pandemic became a benefit of the modern job.
People don’t have to be bound to a city that doesn’t correspond to their standards or preference, which also helps avoid unnecessary travelling. If a spouse has to be based or allocated in a particular location, remote working allows partners to keep their job, or at least ease the transition period. Working remotely means it doesn’t matter if you live at the top of a mountain or next to the sea.
Protects Sensitive Work Data
We find a consultative process is most effective for companies with 50 or more employees and a rapid process is more impactful for companies with fewer than 50 employees. To get started, teams can use the Placeless Taxonomy as a simple framework for adopting more asynchronous communication practices. By investing in Leadplaceless, companies can ensure their management practices align with the unique dynamics of remote work, thereby fostering a work environment that is productive, inclusive, benefits of working remotely and supportive. Organizations can take strategic steps to level the playing field, like promoting based on merit, developing a more robust line of communication, and even creating remote leadership roles.
Before the idea of remote work is even mentioned, businesses must be sure they can meet or exceed security expectations to minimize a cybersecurity disaster. Organizations scrambled to put the right tools in place to enable remote work when the pandemic began. Many companies were using outdated tools, forcing them to upgrade their systems.
In conclusion, remote work offers many benefits, from increased flexibility and productivity to cost savings and access to global opportunities. However, it also comes with its own set of challenges, including potential isolation, communication difficulties, and the need for strong self-motivation. By understanding these pros and cons, you can better prepare yourself for the realities of remote work and develop strategies to make the most of this flexible work arrangement. Still, with increased social support and systems put in place by managers and organizations trained in managing hybrid teams, research also suggests there’s plenty of benefits to working from home. Below, 10 studies and surveys that quantify just how game-changing remote work can be for employees and companies.
Research shows that working from home reduces greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and office waste. In other words, by cutting out your commute and reducing the need for utilities at the office, you’re reducing your environmental impact on the planet. Flexible work from home means you’re free to plan your days as you see fit, with time for friends and coworkers.